The invention relates to sailing. In particular, the invention involves a pre-feeder for a main sail that can be easily switched between a gripping position and an open position. The invention provides a releasable clamp device that can be secured to a mast for guiding a luft rope into the groove of a mast.
A pre-feeder guides a luft rope into a slot running the full height of the mast. The luft rope is a rope that is snugly sewn into the hem of the forward edge of a main sail. The luft rope edge runs the full length of the sail. The luft rope is completely inside the mast when sailing. This is why a main sail appears to be coming out of the mast. A pre-feeder is typically located below the entrance to the groove in the mast.
Various pre-feeder designs have been used in the past to guide a luft rope into the slot of a mast. For example, some pre-feeders are two piece, each piece being mounted on a side of the mast slot. These pre-feeders may be difficult to set to the proper opening dimension for a given luft rope. Other pre-feeders are one piece, with a fixed spacing between the guiding sides. The pre-set spacing of the pre-feeder may be inappropriate for some luft ropes. The pre-feeder may also set the guiding line of the luft rope too far away from the mast, thus causing the luft rope to pull out of the mast slot when pressure is exerted on the sail away from the mast groove or slot.
There are at least several problems with conventional pre-feeders that need to be addressed. First, existing pre-feeders do not allow the sail to be taken out of the pre-feeder once the sail is started up the mast, until the sail reaches the top. Only then can the bottom of the sail be pulled out of the pre-feeder. If wind is strong, the sailor may want the main sail to be only part way up. Later the sailor may need to take the main sail down quickly. With a conventional pre-feeder the sailor has two choices. The sailor may raise the sail to the top in order to free the luft rope from the mast groove, and then lower the sail quickly. Alternatively, the sailor may take the sail down directly, in which case the sail falls under gravity in the distance between the groove entrance on the mast and the pre-feeder, allowing the sail to fold out from the mast and onto the deck. The pre-feeder is then still holding the sail in such a way that the sail cannot be put back up without carefully guiding the fallen sail back down through the pre-feeder.
Another problem with conventional pre-feeders is that they cannot be adjusted to accommodate different luft rope dimensions. Luft ropes come in different dimensions, and the thickness of the sail material that forms the hem is variable. A pre-feeder must have an appropriate gap so that the sail may move freely through the pre-feeder, yet not allow the rope to squeeze out of the guides. A given pre-feeder may work well for a certain sail and luft rope configuration, but not work satisfactorily for a different luft rope and sail dimension. Accordingly, there is a need for a pre-feeder for a main sail where the gap defined by the pre-feeder can be easily adjusted between two or more positions to accommodate luft ropes and sails of different dimensions and/or to allow quick alternation between a released position and a gripping position.
The invention provides a pre-feeder for guiding a luft rope of a main sail into a groove in a mast. A clamp device is configured for mounting on a mast below the groove that receives the main sail. A clamp device defines a gap that is small enough to retain the luft rope inside the pre-feeder, yet large enough to permit easy sliding of the main sail through the pre-feeder. The pre-feeder has an adjustment mechanism that allows a sailor to alter the gap dimension.